Accra: The Ghana Education Service (GES) has commemorated this year's Menstrual Hygiene Day with a strong appeal for collective action to create a supportive and inclusive environment for girls and women nationwide. The event, held under the theme: 'Together for a Period Friendly Ghana,' brought together stakeholders, development partners, students, and civil society organisations to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene and the urgent need to tackle menstrual poverty and stigmatisation.
According to Ghana News Agency, the event featured cultural performances and poetry recitals that conveyed the daily struggles of girls who menstruate, as well as their hopes for a future where menstruation is not a barrier to their dreams. Solidarity messages from partners underscored the importance of the cause. Dr Miriam Iddrisu, an official from the Office of the Vice President, representing the Vice president, noted that over the years, girls have been held back by stigma, silence, and a systemic failure to address their biological needs adequately.
She urged parents, community associations, and stakeholders to come together to develop sustainable solutions to the persistent barriers that hinder the development and empowerment of girls. Dr Iddrisu assured the public that the National Democratic Congress (NDC)-led government would be committed to dismantling these barriers through the implementation of the free sanitary pad project, designed to ensure that no girl was forced to miss school due to menstruation.
She explained that the project targeted girls at both the basic and secondary school levels, focusing on improving menstrual hygiene, education, and infrastructure. She emphasised that the initiative was built on three strategic pillars, including access, thus, the provision of free sanitary pads to eliminate the financial barrier that has excluded many girls from full participation in the classroom.
Dr Iddrisu added that the second pillar was awareness, which entails the commitment to normalising conversations around menstruation and breaking the culture of silence that surrounds it, and empowerment, which includes supporting girls to manage their menstruation with dignity, thereby enhancing their self-confidence and education.
Dr Clement Abas Apaak, Deputy Minister of Education, underscored the critical importance of addressing menstrual poverty, stigma, and discrimination as integral components in the pursuit of gender equality in education. He noted that period poverty remained a pressing issue with profound social and economic ramifications.
Dr Apaak said although menstruation was a natural biological process, it continued to be a source of shame and missed opportunities for many girls and women due to the lack of access to sanitary products, clean water for sanitation and hygiene, facilities, and the persistence of harmful myths and taboos surrounding menstruation, which collectively hinder girls' health, education, and human dignity.
He emphasised that menstrual hygiene management in schools was a matter of great concern to President John Dramani Mahama; hence, the introduction of the policy to distribute free sanitary pads to girls in basic and senior high schools. He reiterated that the initiative would be complemented by comprehensive menstrual health education to promote informed practices and reduce the associated stigma.
Mr Freeman Tsekpo, Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), stated that the theme of the celebration served as a reminder to all Ghanaians that menstrual health was a shared responsibility and an essential component of the country's social and economic development. He affirmed the assembly's commitment to supporting key interventions, including the distribution of free sanitary pads to girls in need, the enhancement of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools and public spaces, and the implementation of educational campaigns aimed at debunking myths and fostering open dialogue around menstruation.
Solidarity messages by representatives from UNICEF, the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS), WASH Development Partners (WASH DP), Amnesty International Ghana, and other organisations highlighted the shared commitment to promoting menstrual hygiene management as part of the broader goals of health, education, and gender equality. Participants, including students, teachers, government officials, and development partners, made a collective pledge to support menstrual hygiene management initiatives in schools and communities. Some organisations also used the occasion to donate sanitary pads and other items.
